YSD-30306 Global Food Security

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

Open for all MSc and BSc students but especially for those that follow one of the following minors Freedom from hunger, International land and water management, Sustainable food systems or follow MFS.

Contents:

'Food Security' means that all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Especially in developing countries, many people are food insecure. This interdisciplinary course focuses on what it means to be 'food insecure' and examines causes and solutions for this problem. The scope is from global to sub-household level. It aims at linking disciplines related to availability (production, processing), access (distribution, entitlements) and quality (health, acceptability, utilization). Approaches come from the disciplines Economics, Nutrition, Social Sciences, Food Science, Production Ecology and Natural Resource Management and Animal Husbandry. The second halve of the course is an intensive practical, devoted to hands-on project development, considering the complexity of food insecurity at district and household level. The students analyse a situation of regional food insecurity, and use a logical framework for designing a (better) project. The course has a tight schedule and the students get a high degree of exposure. Attendance is demanded. A reader can be obtained at week 3 of the course.

Learning outcomes:

At the end of the course, the student is expected:
- to be able to articulate orally and in written a well justified viewpoint on food security issues, based on the gained knowledge and insight in the complex issue of food and nutrition security and on discussion skills;
- to be able to analyze situations of food insecurity in different contexts, using a model of causal analysis;
- to propose solutions for averting food insecure situations, thereby integrating different disciplines, and using a logical framework for project planning;
- to be able to make a justified consideration of what the own disciplinary contribution can be for improving food security in different contexts;
- to be able to think interdisciplinary and to work productively in a multidisciplinary team.

Activities:

Lectures, group discussions, role play, individual reading, case studies (in groups), debate.

Examination:

Quality of participation in assignments (30%) and written exam (70%).